After hearing those words, Max felt the cold prickle of a realization he hadn’t anticipated. His initial investigation into Donto had been a calculated move—a stepping stone designed to get him close enough to Randy. His interest in Randy, in turn, had only grown because of the cryptic warnings left by the Gilt Rats’ leader. Max had operated under the assumption that Randy was the primary obstacle, the shadow he needed to uncover to eventually reach the White Tigers.
However, a nagging question had always lingered in the back of his mind: who was the architect behind the attempted assassination of the original Max Stern? In his mental ledger, Max had already begun crossing off names. He could cross off Chad; the man was a bully, but lacked the vision for a high-level hit. He could cross off Karen and her daughter, Bobo; their malice was transparent and petty. He even doubted it was Cici, as she was one of the few family members who seemed genuinely indifferent to the cutthroat race for the inheritance.
That left a dwindling list: Donto, Randy, Marsha, and Dave.
Since Donto was closest in age to Max and part of the same generation, Max had suspected him. The younger generation tended to be rash, driven by immediate ego and the desire to eliminate competition early. But after systematically dismantling Donto on the court, Max realized his cousin lacked the cold, surgical precision required for such a clean strike. Donto was a creature of loud violence and public displays of power. He wasn’t the type to pull off a murder so quietly that even Aron couldn’t find a paper trail.
"Aron, take the others and get out of here," Max said, his voice echoing through the hall. "There’s no reason for them to stay inside any longer."
The group didn’t hesitate to comply. While they felt a strange, newfound sense of safety around the janitor, their eyes remained glued to Max. They had all witnessed a transformation that defied logic. Even those who had somewhat believed the exaggerated rumors realized they had still vastly underestimated the man standing among the fallen seniors.
"If anything, those stories were an understatement," Steve whispered as they moved toward the exit. He looked back at Max one last time, a look of religious fervor in his eyes. "Don’t worry, Max. I’ll make sure to increase the scale of your legendary tale when we get out of here."
As the heavy doors shut behind them, the group took only a few steps before they were forced to halt. The scene outside was far from the peaceful campus afternoon they had expected.
"What is this?" Eric asked, instantly bringing his fists up to his face and dropping into a combat-ready stance.
The courtyard was swarming with students. They weren’t just random passersby; they were seniors from various sports departments—rugby, soccer, wrestling—forming a loose but intimidating perimeter. They didn’t look like they were there for a casual chat. It was clear that a silent alarm had been raised, a "call to arms" from the king of the sports department.
"It appears that even in defeat, Donto still carries quite a bit of sway with the seniors at his university," Aron noted, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the crowd.
"Are we going to be okay?" Yovan asked, her voice trembling. The adrenaline from the basketball hall was wearing off, replaced by the crushing reality of the sheer numbers outside.
"Hey, don’t sweat it," Rick said, punching his fist into his palm with a grin. "We can deal with these guys. All the ’hard’ ones were on the inside. These guys are just the leftovers."
"I also believe," Aron added, a small smile playing on his lips, "that Max has already prepared for this situation."
Just as Aron finished his sentence, a sudden eruption of chaos broke out on the far side of the courtyard. One of the sports seniors was suddenly grabbed by his hoodie and dragged violently to the ground. Shouts rang out as students from various years and departments—many of whom looked entirely unremarkable—began to attack the sports seniors from the rear.
"What is going on?" Talia asked, blinking in confusion. "Is there some kind of civil war happening?"
"Ah, no... I recognize some of those faces," Rick laughed. "It seems Max really did predict this. He must have asked the Bloodline members within the university to mobilize just in case things went south."
Rick’s expression turned serious as he watched the brawl unfold. "Well, we can’t leave it all to them. Max wouldn’t like it if his own people were getting hurt while we just stood here watching, right?"
Aron nodded, and the two of them charged forward, joining the fray to clear a path.
Back inside the silent hall, Max stood over Donto, ready to hear the information that had kept him from delivering a final blow.
"Tell me exactly what you mean," Max demanded. "Do you know something specific about what happened to me?"
Donto shook his head, his breathing shallow. "I have no idea what you’re actually referring to regarding your past, but if my words caught your attention, there has to be a reason. What I’m saying is this: you shouldn’t be wasting your energy worrying about my father. Randy doesn’t care about the Stern inheritance or the hierarchy of this family. He never did."
Donto spat out a bit of blood. "He is his own person. He does things for himself, trying to build his own company and his own legacy outside of the Stern shadow. He doesn’t want the crown; he wants to build a bigger one next to it."
Judging by the massive financial gap between Randy and the other family members, Max realized there was a high probability that this was true. Randy wasn’t fighting for a piece of the pie; he was baking his own.
"But the one you truly have to worry about," Donto continued, his voice dropping to a whisper, "is the person who believes the position of Heir belongs to them by divine right. The one who has sacrificed everything for the sake of the Stern business, rather than the Stern family. The one who views any deviation from the bloodline’s success as a personal insult."
Donto looked Max directly in the eye, a flicker of genuine fear passing through his gaze. "And that person is Marsha Stern. She isn’t just waiting for the position, Max. she will make sure she becomes the next Heir, and she will remove anyone—including family—who stands in her way."